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Edgar Chaput
Ravens vs. Patriots Point Spread: NFL Week 3 Odds, Prediction
Incidentally enough, New England and Baltimore have suffered their singular losses in 2022 at the hands of the Miami Dolphins. It wasn’t that long ago that the idea of Baltimore and New England trying to keep pace with Miami would have been scoffed at, and yet here we are. Not only that, but both losses were ugly, albeit for different reasons.
The betting experts favour John Harbaugh’s Ravens as 3-point favourites to win on the NFL odds. The points total for the game is predicted to be 43.5
NFL Point Spread and Betting Analysis
Bill Belichick gets his Patriots teams ready when challenged by good opponents. The Ravens are among the NFL’s more consistent squads of the past dozen years, but New England has won four of the past five meetings between the teams.
Interesting stat: we need to go back to 2013 for the last non-playoff game in which the road team won (Patriots 41-7 Ravens). Also of note, most of their confrontations are decided by one touchdown or less, save the example we just highlighted from 2013 and a big Ravens win in 2019, making spreads very close and tricky to work with.
Last week the Patriots covered their spread, whereas the Ravens did not, and in a memorable fashion for that matter.
Baltimore Ravens
If one of these two teams needs the win more (everybody wants to win in the NFL), it’s the visiting Ravens. For all the credit Harbaugh and his staff have deserved since his arrival in 2008, last week’s loss to Tua Tagovailoa and company stands as one of the worst ever. To be up by 21 points in the fourth quarter at home and cough up play-after-play-after-play is borderline inexcusable. The 25-point swing left everyone dumbfounded.
Even more frustrating is that Baltimore’s attack, both on the ground and through the air, had a great day at the office, scoring 38 points. Lamar Jackson rushed yet again for 100+ yards, two receivers caught for over 100 yards, they lead by 21 in the fourth, and tallied 473 yards altogether. There is absolutely nothing wrong with those stats. The defence simply did not know what to do against QB Tagovailoa and WR Tyreek Hill when it mattered most.
Key injuries: RB JK Dobbins (questionable), DT Travis Jones (questionable)
New England Patriots
After trips to sweltering Miami and unwelcoming Pittsburgh, the Patriots surely feel pretty good about finally playing at home, especially after squeaking out a win in Week 2. Then again, few would look back at how their contest against the Steelers played out and argue New England looked amazing. It felt like the ultimate contest between teams throwing as many passes as possible in front of the first down marker. WR Nelson Agholor’s incredible and contested catch to a major score was partially a result of Mac Jones’ pass not getting as far as it could have.
Any win feels good, but some wins need to be called for what they are. Pittsburgh’s Mitch Trubisky simply isn’t consistent (or especially good), and LB T.J. Watt was absent due to injury. Still, the running game iced the contest beautifully, bouldering for first downs and killing the clock.
Key injuries: S Joshuah Bledsoe (questionable)
BAL
NE